


Mr. Gotstoodup

by Doodlelupin



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bakery and Coffee Shop, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Georgie Barker/Melanie King, No Fear Entities (The Magnus Archives), POV Martin Blackwood, Protective Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), martin gets stood up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:55:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29424168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doodlelupin/pseuds/Doodlelupin
Summary: Martin has a date with a cute guy his roommate set him up with and he's stoked. If he's any bit as charismatic as the barista, Martin's going to have a great time... if he ever shows up.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25
Collections: TMA Valentine's Exchange 2021





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> for Zyka <3 hope you like!!!

Martin paced outside the coffeeshop. He was ten minutes early and he couldn’t decide if he should go in or not. On one hand, he didn’t want to make it awkward for Riley to greet him, go order, and then come back while he sat and waited. It would be better to order together. On the other hand, it  _ was _ rather chilly outside and he had been craving a good cup of tea. He didn’t live in the area, so he hadn’t been to this particular shop before. He hoped they had good tea. Riley had said it was his favourite though, so of course he said he’d go.

Martin’s roommate had met Riley at one of her conventions for work. As a professional ghost hunter, Melanie attended a lot of events to meet other folks who  made money off of gullible people worked in documenting the supernatural. Riley was apparently a bit of a conspiracy theorist and had been there collecting information for a book he was writing. Melanie said she’d made a joke about knowing too many writers, and when Riley expressed interest she mentioned that her roommate wrote poetry. Apparently this had led to more conversation about him (Martin hated thinking about people talking about him when he wasn’t around. What did they say? Melanie assured him it was all nice things-or affectionate teasing) which eventually led to Riley giving her his number to pass on to Martin. 

Martin had been a bit baffled. Melanie was evidently an incredible wingman. How did she get him a number faster than he’d ever been able to get one himself? (He refused to entertain that thought for long. He had some ideas and he didn’t want to make himself depressed.) Melanie kept assuring him that Riley seemed very interested, especially after she showed him a few pictures she had on her phone. Martin didn’t really understand...what he would be interested in. But it  _ was _ nice to have someone interested in him.

He had texted Riley back a day or two after the convention. Though Melanie, and her girlfriend, Georgie, when she came over the next day, kept teasing him about trying too hard, he couldn’t figure out the right opening message. He settled for a  _ Hey! This is Martin, Melanie’s roommate :) _ He still thought it looked silly, but he was never going to figure out the perfect text, so he hit send. “ _ Oh, hey! I’m Riley (as I’m sure you know haha) Nice to meet you! _ ” Came the reply an hour or so later. 

They spent the next few days getting to know each other. Riley seemed like a nice guy, and was pretty funny too. It was hard to really tell what someone was like through text though, as Riley had pointed out. So he invited Martin out for coffee. And here he was, pacing outside the coffee shop, trying to be early but not _ too  _ early. Trying to make a good impression on a man who wasn’t even there yet.

Martin realized how ridiculous he was being and decided he’d just head in. Besides, he’d zoned out for a good few minutes. He was probably only five minutes early now. That was good enough.

He stepped into the coffee shop. He could tell from the outside that it was rather nice, but the wave of warmth that hit him when he entered smelled of  _ good _ coffee and pastries, and he couldn’t help but smile. He knew his wallet wouldn’t be too happy about it, but he deserved a little treat now and then.

“Finally worked up the nerve, eh?” The barista teased as Martin approached the counter.

“Uh, what?” Martin asked, confused.

“Saw you pacing back forth out there. Waiting for someone?” He asked, leaning casually on the counter towards him.

“Oh, um- yes, actually. First date.” He said sheepishly.

“Very sweet! Best of luck to you.” The barista grinned. It felt incredibly genuine. 

“Thanks.” Martin replied, returning the smile.

“Now. What can I get for you?”  _ Right _ .

“Ah-” Martin had forgotten to look at the board on the wall, too caught off guard by the sudden conversation. 

“No rush!” The barista laughed, clearly picking up on his nervous energy. “I can give you a minute to look over our options or I can talk you through some recommendations, if you’d like.”

“I- um. Recommendations?” Martin wished he would stop talking like a  _ caveman _ and form a proper sentence for once.

“Sure! A drink?”

“Ah- Yes, please. Tea?”

“Oh, we have  _ plenty _ of tea. Any kind of preference?”

“Anything other than Oolong, really. I usually go for a black tea, something with floral notes?”

“Yeah! Well, I mean Earl Grey is a classic, but we’ve got a really nice Darjeeling and Keemun as well. Any of those sound appealing?”

“The Darjeeling sounds great.”

“Lovely. Anything to eat?” The barista asked, punching in his order.

“No, I think I’m alright for now.”

“No problem. Debit? Great. All ready on the machine there. And I’ll need a name.”

“Martin.” He said as he tapped his card.

“Perfect. I’ll get it started for you, Martin.” The barista smiled. 

Martin’s heart fluttered at the way he said his name, followed by an instant pang of guilt. He knew he didn’t have any obligation to a man he still had yet to meet in person, but it felt like he was cheating on Riley somehow. Completely ridiculous, but there were emotions for you.

“Thanks.” He smiled, wandering down to the other end of the counter. He glanced at the door. Still no sign of Riley. He was...Martin checked his watch. 20 seconds late. He chuckled.  _ Oh dear, what a tragedy. Complete disregard for punctuality. _

Martin watched the barista work. He was still trying to shake the feeling that it was inappropriate. He was simply interested in his order, that was all. His focus on the barista’s strong, capable hands seamlessly moving through the motions of preparing his tea with the grace of a dancer was simply a curiosity in the process. Watching to see if he did anything different to how Martin would have done it. His eyes slid over the barista’s arms, the cuffs of the short sleeves rolled up to reveal some muscle. His eyes moved across to his chest, to the nameplate. Tim. He had been too distracted by his smile to see it earlier.

Up further was his jaw, sharp enough to cut. His face was...utterly perfect. He looked like a sculpture in motion. A slit in his eyebrow; dark, kind eyes that mirrored the tea he was brewing. Just as deep, though Martin imagined the splash of colour in his eyes was more likely an amber or a gold than the milky tea. His hair looked like he had just woken up with it styled like that, though Martin knew he had probably spent quite a while to make it look so effortlessly in place.

“Here you are, Martin! One Darjeeling, darling.” Tim held out the cup and winked, snapping Martin out of his trance.

“Uh- thanks...T-Tim!” He stammered, feeling his face flushing.

“No problem.” Tim smiled. “Let me know if you need anything else.” He leaned closer, stage whispering, “If you really want to woo your date, I recommend the carrot cake.” 

“I-I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.” Martin laughed, nodding. As Tim turned to help another customer, Martin popped a tip in the jar. Maybe a little too much, but the service was good.

As much as he’d like to stay and chat, he figured Riley walking in to see him ogling the barista was probably not a great way to start off a date. He made his way over to a table by the side window. He was visible from the door and the counter so Riley wouldn’t miss him, but it was off enough that the few customers by the front wouldn’t bother them too much. He sat facing the door, pulling out his phone to distract himself while he waited.


	2. Chapter 2

Ten minutes in and he began to look up more frequently. Had he gotten the time wrong? The address? His tea was half gone by now. He sent Riley a quick text.  At Beanies :). Simple. Unassuming. That would be fine. He went back to scrolling through various social media feeds, clicking back over to their messages every few minutes or so. ****

* * *

Twenty minutes after he sent the text and he was fully nauseous. He must’ve messed something up. He checked the text again, googled the address again, but it still came up the same. He was in the right spot. It was the right time. Where was Riley? Maybe he’d gotten in an accident. Maybe this was all a joke. He bounced his leg, trying to calm himself. He sipped the last of his tea. Great, now he had nothing to fidget with. He should send another text. He probably just forgot, or got busy, or was ignoring him on purpose- Martin cut off his train of thought. That wasn’t helpful. 

“ Where are you? ” seemed too forceful, but he couldn’t just send a “ Hey ”. Maybe a “ We were going to meet at Beanies, right? ” or a reminder of the time? His fingers hovered over the keys, thinking through all his possible options. He settled on “ Tea’s getting cold <3”.  It was cute and casual, hiding his panic. He looked around the coffeeshop, still Riley-free. 

He sighed and went back to scrolling on his phone.

* * *

It had been almost an hour. Martin had stopped checking if Riley had looked at the texts a while ago. His eyes stung, tears threatening to fall. The lump in his throat seemed to be getting bigger with every second that passed. He decided that he would call Riley and if he didn’t answer then he’d just go home. He clicked over to his messages and his heart dropped.  Read . Almost half an hour ago. Martin stood up and walked calmly to the bathroom, biting his lip hard. 

As soon as he was inside he broke down, silent sobs shaking his whole body. Tears streamed down his face and he clutched the sink to keep himself upright. Martin didn’t touch his eyes; he knew that rubbing them made them more red and he still had to walk home. He breathed through his mouth to keep from sniffling, grabbing some paper towels to dab at his nose as he cried. He had a lot of practice hiding the fact that he was crying. He wasn’t looking forward to the headache that was to follow, though.

Martin let all the emotions flood through him. Regret. Self-pity. Hate. More at himself, than Riley. How could he be dumb enough to think someone would actually want to go on a date with him? Riley probably just took a second look at his Facebook profile and decided not to show up. He stared at himself in the mirror, hating what he saw more with every minute. He wanted to scream. But he  was in a public restroom. He had to control himself. 

Instead, he pulled out his headphones and popped them into his ears, putting on the most upbeat pop punk song he could find without too much searching. He nodded his head to the beat, turned it up to a borderline dangerous level and closed his eyes, willing himself to stop sobbing. After a couple false starts, he managed to level out his breathing.

Good job. Alright, next step. Martin encouraged himself. He grabbed some paper towels and ever-so-gently wiped down his face, especially careful not to press on his eyes. He blew his nose and washed his hands, tapping some of the cool water onto his face to try to relieve some of the puffiness.  Not perfect, but it’ll do.

He took a deep breath and pulled out one earbud, letting it dangle. He just had to return his mug and then he’d go home. He braced himself.  No one is going to look at you. None of them can see your texts. You’re going to be fine. Return the mug and leave. You’ve got this. He nodded resolutely and pushed open the door, keeping his head down as he returned to his table. 

“Martin!” A cheerful voice called. He looked up to see the barista-Tim-sitting in the seat across from the one he’d vacated, with a latte in his hands and a fresh cup of tea at Martin’s place. “Shift just finished. Sorry for keeping you so long!” Martin stared at him in confusion. “Take a seat.” Tim smiled. Martin did as he was told, still baffled.

“Hey, I’m really sorry about your date. Didn’t show? What a clown. How could they pass up on  you ?” He said, keeping his voice low. “Anyway, I thought I’d bring you another cup of tea, on me. If you want I can fill in for your date. If not, I totally understand!”

“I- You- what?” Martin stammered. 

Tim laughed, not  at him but as if he found it...endearing? 

“I would like to take you on a date. If that’s alright. Just because that prick didn’t show doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time.”

“You...you want to…go on a date.” Martin said slowly. “With me.”

“Yes.” Tim replied patiently.

“Um...not to be rude, but...why?” Martin replied, finally remembering there was a chair in front of him. He sat.

“What do you mean, why? Look at you!” Tim laughed in disbelief.

Martin was sure his utter confusion was plain on his face. 

Tim’s smile shifted into something else. Not pity, more...sadness?

“Martin. You’re incredibly attractive. You...you know that, right?”

“I’m-what?” Martin blurted out.

“Oh my god, Martin. Where do I even start? Your freckles are adorable, your face is so visibly kind and soft, you just...exude this warmth that I can’t even describe.” Martin could feel his face going beet red.

“I do?”

“You really do!” Tim laughed softly. He took Martin’s hands in his own. He squinted, pushing his hands so they were upright. Martin kept them there, looking at him quizzically. Tim pressed his hands against them, feeling his fingertips.  What was he doing?

“Do you play an instrument?” He asked. Martin burst out laughing.

“I do,  Mr. Holmes . You felt the callouses?”

“I did. Musically talented too? See! Such a catch. What instrument?”

“Viola.”

“Oh, those are so pretty. I play the drums. Opposite end of the spectrum.” Tim grinned. Martin took a minute to indulge in the image.

“I could see that.” Martin laughed.

“You should! I’ve got a band, you should come watch us sometime.” Tim offered. “Sorry if that’s a bit forward.” He laughed. “We should probably see how this goes first, huh?” 

Martin laughed. “No, that sounds fun! We did skip the whole ‘getting to know each other’ bit though, didn’t we?”

“A bit!” Tim laughed. “Let’s backtrack then. How do you spend your time, Martin?”

“I, uh…” Martin felt a little awkward admitting this so soon but he thought he might as well go for it. “I write poetry.”

“A poet!” Tim gasped, happily surprised. “I love that. For a living or for fun?”

“Oh, just for fun. I actually work in The British Library.”

“Impressive! I work in publishing.” Martin’s confusion must’ve been written on his face because Tim almost choked on his latte laughing.

“Sorry, I should’ve mentioned I work here for fun, mostly. I know the owner and she’s a little short staffed sometimes, so I help out where I can.”

“That’s very nice of you.” Martin nodded. “But- customer service? Voluntarily?”

“I actually don't mind it, most of the time! Bit of an extrovert, so I like getting to chat with people.”

“That’s fair, I suppose. Get any weird customers, though?”

“Oh yeah,  loads . Had one guy come in and order a black coffee with three pumps of blueberry. It’s so mundane but so odd at the same time? And there are some people who get more shots of caffeine than we should be legally allowed to give them.”

“Been there before.” Martin laughed. 

Tim nodded. “Yeah, I definitely know the feeling but I always feel like they’re asking for a heart attack and I’m just handing it to them. Not much I can do about it, though.” He shrugged.

There was a brief lull in conversation as they both took sips of their drinks and tried to think of what to talk about next.

“Have any pets?” Martin asked.

“I don’t.” Tim sighed. “I really want a dog, though.”

“Any specific kind?”

“A golden retriever, maybe. Haven’t thought about it too much. You?”

“No, it’s a real shame. My roommate’s girlfriend has a cat so they won’t let me get a dog. Two against one.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Well, I also don’t know how well I could take care of a dog at the moment. My hours aren’t very consistent.”

“Hm, that is fair.” Tim nodded. “What kind would you get if you could?”

“Any! All!” Martin grinned at Tim’s laugh. “I’d probably end up walking into a shelter and coming home with the first one I saw.”

“Incredibly valid of you.” Tim took another sip of his latte. “You said your roommate’s girlfriend has a cat? Do they live with you? The girlfriend and the cat, I mean. I assume your roommate lives with you.” 

Martin chuckled. “They do. I guess that makes her my roommate too, doesn’t it? Just used to calling her my ‘roommate’s girlfriend.’ She only moved in recently. Yeah, definitely an adjustment getting used to living with a cat.”

“I can imagine. Never had a pet before?”

“No, never. The Admiral is technically my first.”

“ The Admiral ?” Tim gasped. 

Martin laughed. He’d forgotten the absurdity of naming a cat  The Admiral .

“Yeah, her cat’s name is The Admiral.”

“Oh my  god .” Tim laughed. “That has to be the best name I’ve ever heard of for a cat.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Do you have any pictures of  The Admiral ?”

“Yeah, I should have.” Martin pulled out his phone. It was still open to his messages with Riley. He’d completely forgotten why he was here in the first place. He happily closed the app and searched for a picture of The Admiral.

“There he is!” Martin said as he came upon a picture of the grey cat stretched out in a patch of sunlight. He turned his phone towards Tim. 

Tim sighed happily at the picture. “What a pretty boy.”

“Isn’t he?”

“Hey, while your phone is out...Do you want my number?” Tim asked. Martin felt his face flush.

“I- um- yeah! Yes. That would be good.” Martin stammered, handing over the phone. Tim laughed and put in his information before handing it back. He had put in his name as “Timothy Cutebarista ;).” Martin laughed.

“That’s your full name then, Timothy Cutebarista? Martin Gotstoodup, nice to meet you.” He held out his hand. Tim shook it.

“That’s a pretty lousy surname, Mr. Gotstoodup. Maybe you should take mine instead.” Tim teased. Martin laughed, somehow turning more red.

“Maybe I should. We’ll have to see if you can make an Earl Grey as well as you can make a Darjeeling first, though.”

“Is this your way of asking me for more tea?” Tim laughed.

“Perhaps.”

“Well, that I can do.” Tim got to his feet. “Some carrot cake as well?”

“Carrot cake? Are you trying to woo me?”

“ Perhaps .” Tim winked. Martin laughed.

“Carrot cake sounds lovely.”

“Be right back.” Tim smiled, leaving to get Martin his tea. 

There was a woman behind the counter now, who Martin supposed had taken over for Tim. He hadn’t noticed earlier. He’d been a little… preoccupied. Tim was chatting with the other barista while he prepped Martin’s tea. Martin couldn’t hear what they were saying but it looked like fun, easy banter. He wondered if she was the owner. Was Tim this friendly with everyone? Martin assumed so.

Tim leaned in closer to the barista and she reacted with amusement to whatever he had said. She scanned the coffeeshop and caught Martin staring at her. She waved happily at him. He blushed and waved back.

What was Tim saying about him? What if this was all a big joke? Martin felt a wave of panic and nausea rush over him. Of course, that would be it. He was trying to see how far he could take it, how long Martin would believe a man like  that would be into a man like  him.

That’s ridiculous. He told himself.  That’s not just just rude to you but that’s rude to  him too. He doesn’t seem at all like the kind of person to do that. And besides, the other barista looked genuinely happy, not malicious. You’re making up a situation that isn’t true. Enjoy this and don’t ruin it with unwarranted paranoia.

“One Earl Grey and a slice of carrot cake.” Martin was brought back to reality by Tim’s voice, and the dishes being placed in front of him. He hoped Tim hadn’t seen him jump.

“Thanks, Tim.” Martin grinned. 

Tim handed him a fork. He had one in his hand as well.

“Do you mind if we share? I can grab my own slice if you’d prefer.”

“N-no! Sharing is fine!” Martin shook his head, sliding the plate to the middle of the table.  See? This is very sweet of him.  “Looks delicious.”

“Take a bite.” Tim said as he sat. Martin did as he was told. It was even better than it looked, sweet but balanced out by the tangy cream cheese icing and perfectly moist. Martin hummed in appreciation.

“Right?” Tim laughed, taking a bite for himself. He nodded happily. “Oh, Sasha says hi.”

“Ah, well...tell her I said hello, I guess.” Martin replied. Tim laughed.

“She’s the owner, by the way. She took over for me when I texted her about the cute guy who looked like he was having a rough time.” 

Martin wondered how many times his face could go red in the span of ten minutes.

“You- you what?” Martin gaped at Tim.

“I’m kidding!” He raised his hands placatingly. “I mean she  did come in a bit earlier than she was going to, but she was slated to work today anyway.” Tim shrugged. He must’ve noticed Martin’s expression. “Well, I couldn’t just let you leave looking all sad!” 

Martin laughed. 

“Well, thank you. I’m sure this had been a much better date than I would’ve had with  him anyway.”

“Glad to hear it!” Tim replied. “So, do you have anywhere to be?”

“I don’t.” Martin replied, taking another bite of cake.

“Just curious. Wouldn’t want to keep you if you had plans. If you wanted, we could go catch a movie or something when you’re done your tea. Wander around a shopping centre, maybe.”

“Yeah, that sounds fun!” Martin nodded enthusiastically. He was worried he was coming off exceptionally eager, but- well, he was. And Tim looked pleased, anyway.

“Great! Any preference?” Martin hummed in thought. 

“A movie sounds like fun. Is there anything good playing?”

“There’s gotta be  something …” Tim pulled out his phone to check. “What kind of movies do you like?”

“Artsy pretentious movies, but also dumb romcoms.” Martin replied.

“What a fun combination.” Tim smiled as he scrolled. “Hm. I don’t see anything particularly interesting in those categories. How do you feel about horror?”

Martin didn’t love horror movies, but he didn’t want to pass up an opportunity for some of the classic ‘horror movie date tricks’.

“I don’t mind horror.”

“Alright, because there’s a movie I’ve been wanting to see for a while now that I never got around to. It’s a remake of  The Harvestmen. It’s supposed to be really good.”

“Yeah, that sounds neat. That’s one of Neil Lagorio’s, right?”

“It is! A film connoisseur?” Tim asked, impressed.

“Interested in some of the cult classics. Well, my friends are. Big horror junkies.”

“I see.” Tim laughed. “I wouldn’t call myself a horror junkie, so no need to worry about adding another on the pile. I just dabble.”

“That’s how they get you.” Martin warned.

“Ooh, spooky.” Tim teased. “I’ll watch myself.”

“When’s the next showing?” Martin asked. Tim checked his phone.

“Oh, looks like it’s in half an hour.” Tim said, uncertain.

“We can make that, right? It’s not too far.”

“Yeah, if you’re alright to walk. I’m assuming you would’ve waited in your car instead of pacing out front if you had one.” Tim laughed. Martin grinned.

"You are correct. And yeah, walking is fine.”


	3. Chapter 3

They finished the cake and their drinks and headed out. Sasha had given Martin a wink on the way out. It was still rather chilly, but Martin didn’t mind. The conversation was warm and pleasant enough to make up for it.

Martin insisted on paying for the tickets, as Tim had gotten him two cups of tea and a piece of cake free of charge. Tim tried to argue that he hadn’t paid for it either, he was simply stealing from his work but Martin was stubborn and Tim eventually conceded.

Tim insisted on paying for popcorn to make up for it. They got one large bucket to share. It was definitely because they had already had cake and didn’t want a full bucket to themselves and definitely not because they would now have to sit closer to each other and risk their hands touching. Definitely not.

They took their seats, Tim holding the popcorn and a drink. Martin had already had three cups of tea, so he had passed on the drink. Tim rested the popcorn on his left leg so Martin could reach it. They chatted quietly while waiting for the lights to dim.

When the lights went down, they readjusted in their seats to face the screen. Martin shifted his leg and realized it was up against Tim’s. His leg was so  _ warm _ . He could move so they weren’t touching...but if Tim wanted to then he could. Martin was content to stay where he was. He tried to focus on the movie instead.

He absent-mindedly reached for a handful of popcorn and his fingers brushed Tim’s. He was glad Tim could no longer see him blushing in the dark of the theatre. He took a handful, glancing at Tim out of the corner of his eye. He was trying to hide a smile. Martin bit his lip to hold in his own grin.

Martin wasn’t one for jumpscares or suspense, which was, unfortunately, what this movie relied on. He covered his mouth a few times to suppress groans of dread. His grip on the arm rest between them got tighter and tighter as the movie progressed. He gasped out loud at one of the jumpscares, his only comfort that half of the theatre had shared his reaction.

Tim placed his hand on Martin’s reassuringly. Martin twisted his hand to hold Tim’s. He looked mildly surprised, but very happy. Martin could hear Tim laugh beside him when he squeezed his hand at the jumpscares. He couldn’t help it.

At one particular moment, the suspense was too much. Martin covered his face. Tim laughed softly and held his arm out. Martin hid his face in Tim’s shoulder, Tim rubbing Martin’s back reassuringly. Martin stayed there a little longer than he needed to. Tim smelled really nice.

He reluctantly pulled away when it was obvious that part was over, but Tim kept his arm around Martin’s shoulder. Martin leant into Tim’s side.

When the credits finally rolled, Martin was actually disappointed. He wished the movie was a few hours longer, wished he could cuddle with Tim a bit more. But, sure enough, the lights came up and Tim removed his arm from Martin’s shoulder, getting to his feet and holding out a hand to help him up. Martin took it, not letting go once he’d stood. Tim smiled and they made their way out of the theatre, hand in hand.

They stopped just before the doors. It was starting to get dark out.

“I take it you didn’t like the movie?” Tim asked.

“It wasn’t too bad.” Martin smiled. Tim laughed.

“I liked it. All of it.” Martin had a feeling he wasn’t referring to the film.

They watched the cars go by outside in silence for a minute.

“Should probably be heading home, huh?” Tim asked reluctantly.

“Probably.” Martin sighed. Tim turned to face him.

“I had a really good time, Martin.”

“God, me too. Glad that bastard didn’t show.” Martin smirked.

“So am I. Good riddance.” Tim laughed. 

“Do this again sometime?” Martin blurted out before he could think twice.

“I’d  _ love _ that.” Tim replied. Martin beamed. Tim returned the smile. God, he had a gorgeous smile.

“Whereabouts do you live?” Tim asked, wiggling their hands in between them.

“I’ll have to take the tube, it’s halfway across town.” Martin sighed.

“Ah, pity. I can walk you, if you’d like.”

“No, I couldn’t make you do that. It’s freezing.”

“I don’t mind.” Tim shrugged.

“You’re sure?” Martin asked, hating to impose.

“Positive.”

“Well...alright then. Not quite sure where it is from here anyway.” He laughed.

“This way.” Tim smiled and led him out of the theatre. 

* * *

“Well.” Martin said.

“Well.” Tim replied.

“That’s my train.” Martin was hoping they would’ve missed the train, had to wait a bit for the next one so they could chat longer but of course, the one time you want a late train it’s perfectly on time.

“Don’t want to miss it.” Tim said, clearly thinking the same thing.

“Yeah…” Martin sighed. He turned away from the train and looked Tim in the eye. “Seriously, thank you for everything, Tim.”

“Don’t mention it.” Tim grinned.

“I’ll text you.”

“You’d better.” Tim teased.

Martin pecked him on the cheek and turned away before he could react. He got on the train and peeked out the window. Tim had a faint smile on his face and a hand up to his cheek, fingers brushing the spot where Martin had kissed him. His face was finally as red as Martin’s had been half the night. It was a good look on him. Martin would have to bring that colour round again.

Tim caught sight of him in the window and waved, blowing him a kiss. Martin laughed and waved back. Tim made faces at him until the train pulled out of the station and he was lost from sight. 

Martin didn’t even wait his two days before texting. He didn’t think Tim would mind. He was almost bold enough to send a “ _ Miss you already! _ ” But he changed it to a “ _ Romcom next time? _ ” at the last minute. Tim replied almost instantly: “ _ Absolutely! Your pick <3 _ ”


	4. Epilogue

“Wow, look at you! Grinning away like a schoolboy. Date with Riley that good, huh?” Melanie teased. 

“Oh no, he didn’t even show up.” Martin replied happily as he flopped onto the couch beside her.

“Wait, what?” 

“Yeah had me sitting there for half an hour before he even read my texts. He didn’t bother to respond.”

“He  _ what _ ? Oh I am going to  _ pummel _ that  _ smarmy little- _ ” Melanie started. She cut herself off with a suspicious stare. “If you didn’t get your date, why are you smiling then?”

“Oh, I got my date- just not with Riley.”

“I’m...not following.”

Martin filled her in on the details, Melanie hanging off his every word.

“You’re lying.”

“Am not!”

“This man sounds too good to be true.”

Martin held out his phone to show their messages as proof.

“Sorry, I thought you met him today, not two days ago-”

“Fuck off!” Martin laughed, shoving her playfully. She grinned.

“Seriously though, I’m so happy for you, Martin. I’m still gonna grind that little weasel to a  _ pulp _ , but I’m glad it turned out alright in the end.”

Martin looked back at his phone. A string of excited emojis popped up from "Tim Cutebarista :)" He smiled. 

"Yeah, me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was incredibly fun to write!! what a great prompt <3


End file.
